Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to say that, on occasion, we do work in a bipartisan fashion and that the President works with members of both parties.

In fact, I was a cosponsor of a bill that took effect as law yesterday--the Credit Card Bill of Rights, as it is commonly called. There was an accountability act, which was originally sponsored by Congresswoman Maloney of New York. It passed this House by 357 ``aye'' votes, if I remember correctly, and it passed the Senate with 90 ``aye'' votes. That's a pretty strong statement of bipartisanship to protect the American consumer from the same banks, the same financial institutions that were bailed out by the taxpayers, which then turned around and jacked up interest rates for people with credit cards, interest rates as high as 29.9 percent.

I know. I was one of those people who got a notice. I read the fine print, and I said, I pay on time. I've paid more than the minimum payment. How can this be done especially when money/credit is so cheap from the Fed?

So I am proud of the fact that we worked to keep children from being exploited and students from being sent credit card offers, that we worked to protect families against these unexplained increases in interest rates, and that we worked together across the aisle.

I rise today to urge Congress to overturn the Supreme Court's ruling last week that allows corporations to buy Federal elections. Yesterday, I introduced the Freedom from Foreign- Based Manipulation in American Elections Act, which will prevent foreign-influenced companies from buying U.S. elections. Should a Chinese corporation decide U.S. copyright policy or civil rights law? Should Saudi Arabia have a say on American energy policy? How about Venezuela? Should Hugo Chavez have a voice in American elections? These are the questions we must ask if the Supreme Court's decision is allowed to stand.

The Court's decision flies in the face of a century of precedent keeping corporations out of elections. By giving corporations the same rights as individuals, the Court is handing corporations a blank check to decide elections instead of letting the voters do it. I urge my colleagues to join me in saying ``no'' to this decision and ``yes'' to democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1473, the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. To help Main Street, we must reform the way Wall Street has done business and end the risky practices that have caused millions of Americans to lose their jobs, their homes, and life savings.

This legislation will protect American consumers and prevent the irresponsible behaviors and practices that caused the financial crisis last fall. H.R. 1473 restores responsibility and accountability on Wall Street through tough rules and regulations of risky practices. It protects consumers on Main Street by ensuring that bank loans, mortgages, and credit cards are fair and transparent. It also ensures that taxpayers will never again need to bail out Wall Street banks by ensuring the ``too big to fail'' firms don't have a stranglehold on the market.

These firms' practices led us to the brink of disaster last fall, and we cannot allow them to threaten our economy again with dangerous behavior. H.R. 1473 reforms these practices, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Earlier this week, I spent a day working alongside Al McDonnell, a delivery driver for UPS. Together, we delivered packages to small businesses in downtown

Washingtonville, New York. It was a great opportunity to speak with small business owners about the current economic climate that has affected them.

Their message was consistent and needs to be heard. Small businesses are struggling. It is critical that we give small businesses every opportunity to succeed, which is why I joined with Representative Christopher Carney to urge the extension of an immediate tax break for newly purchased business equipment. Extending this tax break will provide immediate relief for businesses that purchase depreciable property such as equipment, vehicles, furniture, machinery, buildings, and other items.

Our small businesses need every break they can get these days. They are the engine that drives our economy and creates jobs. This tax break helps small businesses and stimulates the local economy. We cannot afford to let it expire.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to speak today about a very important issue for our Nation's military families. On November 6, President Obama signed into law the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, which included an extension of the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit. This credit offers a special rule for servicemembers who have served on extended overseas duties since the end of 2008.

Those serving on extended duty outside the United States for at least 90 days between December 31, 2008, and May 1, 2010, qualify for an additional 1-year extension through May 1, 2011, of the $8,000 first- time homebuyer credit. We should not penalize those serving our country overseas. I was proud to cosponsor and vote for this provision in the House of Representatives.

Extending this credit gives our servicemembers abroad the latitude necessary to take advantage of this important provision while readjusting to civilian life back here in the United States.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 890, I was absent due to a telephone interview. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week I attended the opening of the James A. Farley Bridge in Stony Point, New York. Eight months ago, that bridge was 80 years old and structurally deficient, one of 13 deficient bridges on the list issued by DOT after the I-35 bridge collapse in Minnesota.

This Monday, just yesterday, thanks to the hard work of so many, we celebrated the early opening of its replacement. This project is more than just a bridge; it is an investment in our community, in our country and in our future. It created jobs that cannot be outsourced, while strengthening the local communities.

The new bridge will hold three lanes of traffic and sidewalks on either side, keep our communities connected, reduce congestion, and strengthen the Route 9W corridor, providing faster response times for local EMS and less noise for neighborhoods with reduced detoured traffic.

We should celebrate the cooperation between Federal, State and local government officials, especially the supervisors, Howard Phillips and Phil Marino from Stony Point and Haverstraw, the two towns joined by the bridge. I would like to congratulate them and all the workers on a job well-done.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment would simply clarify that solar thermal technologies and concentrating solar technologies will be included within the scope of the research and development program authorized by the bill. I have no objection to it.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great American, First Lieutenant Lou Allen. My bill, H.R. 2877, would designate the post office in Chester, New York, as the ``1st Lieutenant Louis Allen Post Office.'' First Lieutenant Allen was killed in Iraq over 4 years ago by a mine explosion for which another member of the Armed Forces was charged and shockingly acquitted. First Lieutenant Allen was 34 years old.

A pillar of his community, a model National Guardsman, Lou joined the New York National Guard in the year 2000. But when he was not serving in uniform, he served his community as a science teacher at George F. Baker High School in Tuxedo. He was deployed to New York City with the National Guard to respond to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Lou's service to his community and country made him a great American whom we are all proud of. Lou is survived by his loving wife, Barbara; and their four young sons, Trevor, Colin, Sean and Jeremy; his parents, Bob and Vivian; and his siblings and other friends and family who are all so proud of him. Renaming this post office in his honor will be a tangible reminder of the joy he brought to them and the contributions he made to our Nation, the Hudson Valley community, and the lives of those who knew him.

I cannot imagine how difficult the last few years have been in Lou's family, and their grace in dealing with this tragedy is an inspiration to us all. I have had the honor of meeting them at Bob and Vivian's house when I introduced this bill. And I am honored to represent them in Congress and to be able to come here to Washington and help redesignate the U.S. Post Office at 76 Brookside Avenue in Chester, New York, as the ``1st Lieutenant Louis Allen Post Office.''

Renaming this post office is not about mourning Lou's death, but about celebrating his life. I am glad that we have the support of the entire New York State congressional delegation, who are all signed on to the bill as original cosponsors.

I urge my colleagues to honor First Lieutenant Allen and support this bill so that he and his family will finally receive the tribute to his sacrifice that they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the United States Military Academy on its selection as the Best College in America for 2009 by Forbes Magazine. I ask that my colleagues join me in cosponsoring H. Res. 747 honoring West Point's achievement.

I am proud to represent the Academy at West Point. Since 1802 it has trained and educated tens of thousands of Army officers, including two Presidents. In exchange for 5 years' service, the 1,000 cadets who graduate each year are exposed to world-class professors, a gorgeous campus, and, most importantly, a free education. U.S. News and World Report named it the Best Public Liberal Arts College, and it possesses a top-ranked engineering program. Eighty-eight Rhodes Scholars, 33 Marshall Scholars, and 28 Truman Scholars have graduated from West Point.

Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to address this House and ask my colleagues to cosponsor House Resolution 747.

Mr. Speaker, over the last few weeks, I have heard stories from businesses, nonprofits, individuals, and even health care providers in my district who have received health care premium increases up to 39 percent. These increases are unfair, unsustainable and crippling our economy.

These drastic increases are likely to continue as long as private insurers are allowed to regulate themselves. That's why we must vote soon on a comprehensive plan to improve health care, a plan that will reduce costs for the middle class, end insurance company abuses, and increase stable, quality care and access for all Americans.

We need to get reform done but get it right. We must keep listening and engaging with our constituents to ensure that reform will benefit all Americans. With health care premiums growing three times faster than wages, we can't afford to wait.

Mr. Chair, I missed rollcall votes 661 through 667.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on 661, and ``no'' on 662-667.

Part B Amendment No. 439 Offered by Mr. Flake

Mr. Speaker, skyrocketing private health insurance costs are already crippling small businesses. Last week, I sat down with one of my constituents to hear about her situation. Kristine Effaldana is a small business owner and employs nine workers at her company. She has been paying the full cost of premiums for her employees because she knows how important health insurance is.

Unfortunately, Kristine recently got a call from her broker saying the premiums for covering her nine employees are going up 20 percent in August. Now Kristine is forced to pass on part of that cost to her employees, hire fewer employees, or stop offering them health care altogether. That is the status quo we're dealing with, and it is unacceptable.

We must do more to help small business owners who are trying to do the right thing by providing for their employees. Congress must pass comprehensive health reform to ease their burden.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to dispel the myth that health care reform will suddenly move the burden of paying for the uninsured onto the rest of us. All Americans are already paying the high costs of a broken health care system with 47 million Americans uninsured.

The cost of caring for the uninsured gets passed on to all of us. The average American family is currently paying more than $1,000 every year to support the uninsured. This $1,000 fee is buried deep in every premium and pays for the broken health care system.

Health care costs are soaring out of control. Premiums have doubled in 9 years, growing three times faster than wages. These staggering prices are too high for American families. Members of Congress must come together to address the problem for the health of middle class Americans and the health of their wallets. The cost of inaction is just too great to sit back and do nothing.

Thank you and your colleagues for spreading the word about this health care plan, which will include, for the first time in the United States, a public plan, a public option, a patient option, as some call it, so that all Americans will have access to some kind of coverage.

I just wanted to follow up on what you were just saying in terms of what a family of making, say, adjusted gross income of half a million dollars a year will be paying. It's important to recognize that the average American family is already paying an estimated $1,100 a year in extra premiums to cover those 47 to 50 million uninsured who walk into emergency rooms, walk into trauma centers with the flu or where the child is sick or with a sprained ankle, something that should be handled by primary care physicians. But because they don't have health insurance, they go to the ER instead, and those bills don't get paid. And the costs get spread over the rest of the population, and all of us wind up with higher premiums as a result. We're paying more than any other country in the world.

In fact, 16.2 percent of our GDP is going to pay for health care, but we're not getting the best results. We're not at the top in terms of lifespan. In terms of infant mortality, we're not even close to the top. And I think that it's also important to realize that, first of all, this plan is still being tweaked. The bill is still being worked on.

There are those who have questions about one aspect or another. I'm particularly, in my district, concerned that small businesses be protected as well as possible. Although many small businesses have come to me, including the chambers of commerce in my district have come to me and said the number one issue for their member businesses is health care; the cost is spiraling out of control, the cost of providing health care to their employees. They want to do it. They're just going to be broken by doing it.

But the other question I hear is, well, a couple of things. I hear some people say, and they've heard this from TV, from the ads that are running already against this, I don't want the government between me and my doctor. Well, neither do I. But I also don't want your insurance between you and your doctor, and that's the situation we have now.

People say, I don't want rationing. We already have rationing. People say, I want to have my choice of doctor. You don't. If you have an HMO, they give you a list of doctors, and if you're not in the system, you know, you wind up paying for yourself and filing for reimbursement. And good luck, it won't be the same rate if you do get it at all.

But the main myth that I would like to dispel is the idea that the government can't run a health care program well. This isn't going to be government-run health care. It's going to be a standard set of plans, the exchange into which any business or any individual can go and choose from among private choices, and one of those choices will be the public option.

But just think about our military, for instance. All of the many members of the military and folks I know who work at West Point, which is in my district, are covered by TRICARE. TRICARE is a single-payer, government-funded, one-source health care plan. Same goes--Medicare is another one, and the Veterans Administration. There are certainly problems with veterans getting into the system. Once they're in, they're very happy. Matter of fact, don't talk to a veteran about taking away their VA care because most of them, once they get that card that's so portable--it goes anywhere in the country. Their records pop up instantly on computer.

So, there are several examples already of--my parents are quite happy with their Medicare coverage. They buy supplemental sometimes if they need it, and that option would be available under the bill that we're talking about.

But I mainly just wanted to thank you and add my voice to the chorus of those that are saying it's time for this change to happen for us to join the rest of the G-20, the rest of the industrialized, developed world in having some kind of universally available, accessible health care.

Thank you, Congressman Ellison, and I'll just tell you a brief story about my mother who was on a trip to the Slovak Republic with my dad and my brother, the priest, going back to see her great grandparents' hometown. And she's a very friendly person, talkative, and as she was leaving a restaurant one night, she turned around to say good-bye and thanks in Slovak--by the way, the language came back to her when she was there--and she tripped and fell down the stairs of this restaurant and broke her right femur just below the hip. And it was too much pain for her to get on the airplane and fly back to the United States and have her leg repaired here.

So she went into a hospital in a little town in what was Czechoslovakia back when her relatives lived there and now is the Slovak Republic, a post-Soviet country that we think of as a backward nation. Probably most Americans who think of the Slovak Republic think of a backward nation.

She went in the hospital, spent 2 weeks, had pins put in through the marrow of her leg to hold the bones in alignment, plate put in the side of it, screws put in. It's an elaborate operation. Spent 2 weeks in the hospital, and at the end of that time, my father went down to the office of the hospital and asked if he could pay the bill because they were leaving to get on the plane to go home. And the administrator said, What bill? Send us a postcard, tell her to do her exercises, and have a good trip.

Now, I'm not sure that we're going to be able to do that, certainly not for, you know, every visitor to this country, but we ought to certainly try to do that for our own people, for those who can't afford it. For people who can afford it, they can pay for it. The people who can afford the insurance, they can buy it. For those who can't afford it because they're living at or below the poverty level, then we have found ways and are still addressing ways to fund that.

But for the first time in this country we will do what Israel, Canada, the Slovak Republic, Sweden, Holland, France, Taiwan, you can read on the list of all our allies and all of the industrialized developed countries in the world what they do for their citizens and that is make sure that every one of them can go to bed at night and have that certainty, not worrying that they or their children might get sick or injured and not be covered by some kind of health care.